But this is not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill dealership, no, Hatfield VW Rivonia has become synonymous with winning awards, while maintaining a positive atmosphere and environment for customers and staff alike.

According to Dealer Principal, Mike Kaftel, being awarded Golden Partner in the Large Franchise category by ABSA Vehicle and Asset Finance, is the latest in a long list of accolades bestowed on his branch and emphasises the importance of having a good relationship with the banks.

“In our case, it was ABSA who provided the funding to establish the Hatfield Motor Group over 20 years ago and our relationship with them has been brilliant,” he told Dealerfloor recently. “The same applies to all banks providing vehicle finance, as we cannot exist and reach our goals without them.”

Mike explains that, apart from being dependent on the banks, it is also important that banks play a fair and compromising role to help the business. “I always find Absa to be more than willing to come to the party and assist, even when things are not going well,” he said.

Since the franchise was established in 2016, Hatfield VW Rivonia has received numerous awards, including the VW Dealer of The Year for the past three years in a row. “We are truly privileged and grateful to be awarded with the Golden Partner status and VW Dealer of the Year. I would like to thank my management team and all our employees at our dealership for their fantastic performance,” he said.

Kaftel admits that creating a winning culture is a concerted effort from management and employees. “We want to be number one, that is our goal every year,” he said. “To be able to do that, it is essential to have the right people. People are the most important thing, and I have always tried to recruit and retain the best people in the industry. That is why more than half of my staff has been with me and this franchise since day one,” he explained.

Since the establishment of the branch in 2016, Mike was appointed as DP and under his leadership and vision it accelerated into a success story. As with most things, not everything comes easy, but according to him by empowering your employee’s, great success can be achieved and life-long relationships can be developed with customers.

When asked what it takes to become an award winning, successful franchise, Mike stressed that, “It is all about people, recruitment and staff retention, giving unbelievable customer service and trading well. We are fortunate to be on Rivonia Road operating out of a state-of-the-art facility. This definitely has large benefits for us”

Apart from that, Mike believes one must always stay humble, work harder than anybody else and to never, ever get complacent.